is a band started by Rick Wilder (formerly the singer of the Berlin Brats). Following the breakup of the glam rock / proto - punk band the Berlin Brats in 1976, two years of inactivity followed before Rick Wilder updated his image and sound to more align in the wake of the Los Angeles original punk scene (that had just begun to get off the ground in 1977) and formed the Mau-Mau's in 1978. The original line-up from

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

was Greg Salva on guitar, Roderick Donahue on bass, and Rick Torres on drums. They started out playing at

The Masque The Masque was a small punk rock club in central Hollywood, California which existed from 1977 to 1978. It is remembered as a key part of the early LA punk scene. History Considered the “CBGB of the West”, The Masque was founded by Scotti ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. Salva was replaced by Mike R. Livingston in 1979 after Salva moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and Donahue was replaced first by Oscar Harvey and then by Scott Franklin (onetime bassist in

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2009. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...

). Wilder had been chosen to be MC of the

Penelope Spheeris Penelope Spheeris (born December 2, 1945) is an American film director, film producer, producer, and screenwriter. She has directed both documentary film, documentary and scripted films. Her best-known works include the trilogy titled ''The Decl ...

movie ''

The Decline of Western Civilization ''The Decline of Western Civilization'' is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. In 1981, the LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrot ...

'' but was dumped after he insisted he be able to say what he really thought of every act before their clip (it was probably not going to be too complimentary). One of the original bands from

era, the Mau-Mau's are conspicuous by their absence from ''Decline''. Wilder's eccentric attitude toward the record industry and the legendarily self-destructive lifestyles of himself and his band members guaranteed that no record company would risk finances on the Mau-Mau's. This lack of recorded music contributed towards a long period of obscurity despite being well known by most in the early

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

scene. The Mau-Mau's can be seen in the classic

stoner film Stoner film is a subgenre of comedy film based on marijuana themes, where recreational use often drives the plot, sometimes representing cannabis culture more broadly or intended for that audience. Genre The midnight movie scene in theate ...

, Cheech & Chong’s

Up in Smoke ''Up in Smoke'' (also referred to as ''Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke'') is a 1978 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Lou Adler and starring Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Tom Skerritt, Edie Adams, Strother Martin, and Stacy Keach. It ...

, the classic punk rock film, ''

Rock 'n' Roll High School ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'' is a 1979 American musical comedy film directed by Allan Arkush, produced by Michael Finnell, and starring P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, Clint Howard and Dey Young. The film features the punk rock group Ramones ...

'' (starring the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...

), appeared in the movie ''Cocaine and Blue Eyes'' (starring

O. J. Simpson Orenthal James Simpson (July 9, 1947 – April 10, 2024), also known by his nickname "the Juice", was an American professional American football, football player, actor, and media personality who played in the National Football League (NFL) ...

), and were included in the compilation album ''Hell Comes to Your House II''. Rick Wilder also showed up in

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

's music videos for the songs " Tell Your Friends", " The Hills", and "

Can't Feel My Face "Can't Feel My Face" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his second studio album, ''Beauty Behind the Madness'' (2015). The song was released on June 8, 2015, as the album's third single. It was written by Max Martin, Pe ...

". He is also the main character in

Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded al ...

's music videos for the song "Dayzed Inn Daydreams". The Mau-Mau's long-awaited album ''Scorched Earth Policies... Then and Now'' was released by Ratchet Blade Records in 2012. It features

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

Robbie Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and " ...

playing guitar on the Wilder-Campbell punk classic, "(I'm) Psychotic". The album was produced by L.A. punk pioneer

Geza X Geza Gedeon (born September 28, 1952), professionally known as Geza X, is an American producer. He was a personality in the Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s. He is now a producer. Early life and career Gedeon was born in Indiana and mov ...

Gideon. Over the years and throughout the Mau-Mau's history, Rick Wilder lived between New York at his sister's apartment (opera singer Aprile Millo) and L.A., giving him the flexibility to work with other musicians and perform shows. There is an extensive list of members who have collaborated with Rick Wilder, not just under the Mau-Mau's name, but formed new projects around Rick Wilder.

References

External links

Official website

Rick Wilder on-air interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mau-Mau's, The Punk rock groups from California Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups from Los Angeles